


A Lesson In Love

by longhairedbucky, velvetjinx



Category: Avengers Academy (Video Game)
Genre: Captain America Reverse Big Bang 2018, Ducklings - Freeform, First Date, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Soft boys being soft, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 09:19:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14713362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longhairedbucky/pseuds/longhairedbucky, https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetjinx/pseuds/velvetjinx
Summary: Avengers Academy is the place to be in 2018, at least if you’re Steve Rogers. He has it all—the looks, the charm, and he’s class president to boot. Now all he needs is a boyfriend, and he has his eye on the adorable, somewhat emo, transfer from Hydra School…





	A Lesson In Love

**Author's Note:**

> A million thanks to BuckyButt for the beta! And much love to the mods of the bang for making this happen, and the slack chat for being awesome and encouraging.
> 
> longhairedbucky was a joy to work with on this, his art is beautiful and perfect, and I'm so glad I got to write this with him.<3
> 
> [Spotify Soundtrack](https://open.spotify.com/user/jinksed/playlist/2EQRqUHsvHckkzaYMfzjcS?si=aOph8nr8SmKAUerou0sGYw)  
> [Bucky's song](https://soundcloud.com/jinx-velvet/frozen-in-the-winter-of-our-past/s-mM5ci) (Written and sung by velvetjinx in case anyone is interested)

As the lecturer droned on, Steve found himself nodding off, and pinched himself to stay awake. It wasn’t that he didn’t find the class interesting, exactly, but the lecturer’s voice was particularly soporific and it was making him drowsy. Especially as this particular class was two hours long, and they’d already been in there for ninety minutes.

He shot a sidelong glance at Bucky, who was scribbling furiously in a notebook. Steve was willing to bet that Bucky was paying exactly zero attention to the class and was actually writing some song lyrics, and although as class president Steve should probably have a word with him, he couldn’t find it within himself to chide Bucky. 

Bucky was such a mystery. He wrote songs, and played guitar, and had some memory issues from his time at the Hydra School. But now that he was at Avengers Academy, Steve was more than happy to help him get those memories back. Truth be told, Steve tended to feel pretty gooey when he was around Bucky. His heart always started beating faster, and he was aware of his expression going a bit moony. But he couldn’t help it. Bucky was so handsome, with his long brown hair, big blue eyes, and gorgeous features. Plus, he had the coolest metal arm which somehow made him even more attractive. Steve had been trying to get a date with him for ages, but either he was being too subtle or Bucky wasn’t interested. If it was the latter, Steve was content on just being Bucky’s friend. But if it was the former…

He really needed to up his game.

The lecturer cleared his throat. “Well, everyone,” he said, his tone suddenly brisk. “Unless there are any questions, we seem to have finished early today. Anyone?” The room was silent. You could have heard a pin drop. “Excellent. Okay, well, I’ll see you all same time tomorrow. Please don’t forget to do the reading.”

Steve stuffed his books in his bag, and caught up with Bucky as he was heading out the door of the lecture hall. 

“Hey, Bucky!” Steve greeted him, and Bucky looked at him with mournful eyes. That wasn’t really a surprise, though. Bucky always looked kinda mournful. “Nice to get out of class early, especially on a Wednesday, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Bucky replied, shrugging.

“You wanna get some lunch and go to the park? I mean, you know, on a date?” There it was. It was out there. Steve held his breath as Bucky blushed.

“A-a date? Like… a date?” Bucky squeaked.

“Yeah,” Steve said softly. “I really like you, Bucky.”

“Oh.” Bucky squirmed. “I didn’t realize you liked me like that.”

Steve couldn’t help but laugh. “Bucky, I’ve been asking you out for weeks now. You really didn’t realize?”

“No?” Bucky shook his head. “I guess I’m not very good at picking up on that sort of thing.”

“So, uh.” Steve adjusted his backpack strap nervously. “You want to?”

Bucky gave him a shy smile. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that.”

Steve smothered a relieved sigh. “Awesome! I’ve got some stuff to pick up but meet you on the quad in half an hour?”

“Sure,” Bucky agreed, and Steve grinned.

“Okay, see you soon!” They went their separate ways, and Steve headed straight to the campus store. He had some stuff to buy.

***

Half an hour later, as planned, Steve found himself on the quad waiting for Bucky. He looked at his watch, frowning, as the minutes ticked by. Maybe Bucky had changed his mind?

At that moment, Bucky ran up to him, puffing and panting, guitar on his back and messenger bag on his shoulder. “Sorry, god, Steve, I’m so sorry! Wasp, you know her? She cornered me and tried to get my notes from our last class.”

“Did you give them to her?”

Bucky looked at the ground. “Uh, I kinda didn’t really take any,” he confessed. “I had an idea for a song that I had to get down before I forgot it, and I sort of lost track.”

“A new song? That’s cool,” Steve said, smiling. “I’d like to hear it some time.”

“Really?” Bucky’s expression brightened. “That’s… that’s really cool of you, Steve.”

Steve’s smile softened. “Come on. Let’s go to the park. You got something to eat?” Bucky held up his messenger back, nodding. “Then let’s go!”

They walked together to the park, hands occasionally brushing against each other. Steve so wanted to take Bucky’s hand, to hold it like they were really boyfriends, but he thought it might be too soon. He’d noticed that Bucky tended to avoid touching people with his metal hand, and didn’t want to push. 

When they got to the park, they found a patch of grass and sat down, relaxing in the afternoon sunlight. It was a beautiful day, and there were a lot of students hanging out—a lot of couples, in fact, having picnics and watching the world go by. 

“You ever play that game?” Steve said suddenly. “You know, the one where you look at the clouds and say what shape you see?”

“I don’t think so?” Bucky replied. 

“You wanna play now?”

“Sure,” Bucky said eagerly, and Steve flopped down on his back, Bucky following suit beside him. 

“Look at that one,” Steve said, pointing up. “Doesn’t that one look like a dog?”

“Oh yeah,” Bucky said breathily. “And look, that one looks like a dragon!”

“Yeah, you can see it breathing fire and everything!”

“Yeah, it’s really cool!” 

Steve caught Bucky’s eye, and Bucky blushed. “What’s up?” Steve asked. 

“Nothing, I just… you must think I’m a total dork,” Bucky mumbled. 

“Why would I think that?” Steve asked gently. 

“Because I’m getting excited over clouds?”

Steve took a deep, fortifying breath, then reached over and grabbed Bucky’s metal hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed the knuckles. “Do you honestly think I’d think that?”

Bucky blinked at him in wonder. “You… the metal arm doesn’t bother you?”

“Not even a little bit. I really like you, Bucky.”

Bucky rubbed his arm bashfully. “I really like you too, Steve.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Steve smiled at him. “So you wanna keep playing, or do you wanna eat?”

“We could eat and then play some more?” Bucky suggested. 

“Actually,” Steve said, threading his fingers with Bucky’s metal ones, “I was hoping that you would play your new song for me after we eat. Since you’ve got your guitar here and everything.”

Bucky looked delighted, then dipped his head shyly. “You really want to hear it?” he asked, peeking out from under his beautiful long eyelashes. 

“I really do.”

“Okay.”

They smiled at each other for a long moment, and Steve coughed. “So, uh, what did you bring for lunch?”

“Falafel on pita bread. You?”

“Meatball sub,” Steve replied with a crooked grin. “So are you a vegetarian?”

Bucky shook his head. “Nah, although I am trying to cut down on my meat consumption. Plus falafel is really nice.”

“Yeah, it is.” They smiled at each other again, until it got a little intense. To break the tension, Steve took a bite of his sandwich. “Oh my god,” he moaned around his mouthful. “This is so good. The ratio of meatball to marinara sauce to melted cheese is perfect.”

Bucky laughed, then blushed and took a bite of his pita bread. A drop of hummus oozed out onto his upper lip, and Steve’s eyes immediately went to the dot on that plump lip. 

“You’ve, uh, you’ve got…” Steve leaned over and wiped the spot away with his thumb, then sucked it into his mouth as Bucky looked at him, eyes wide. “There was hummus,” Steve said weakly. 

“Th-thanks,” Bucky stammered, and took another quick bite of his pita bread. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other’s company. Half way through his sub, Steve took his bottle of Diet Coke out of his bag and opened it, only to have it fizz up all over his hand and the grass below. 

“Damn,” Steve said with a laugh. “It must have got shaken about in my bag.”

“Here,” Bucky said, holding out some napkins. 

“You’re so well prepared. I like that,” Steve said, grinning. Bucky blushed again, mumbling something incoherent into his pita bread. Steve smiled to himself. Bucky was ridiculously adorable, although he’d never say that out loud. He wasn’t sure if Bucky would appreciate that. 

Lunch finished with, they leaned back on their elbows, sighing in satisfaction. 

“So, you gonna let me hear that new song of yours?” Steve asked, and Bucky bit his lip. 

“You really wanna hear it?”

“Of course!”

Bucky nodded and took a drink of his orange juice, before picking up his guitar case. He carefully took the guitar out, and quickly tuned it by ear. 

“So, uh, I call this ‘Frozen In The Winters Of Our Past’,” Bucky said shyly, and started to play. 

_”Remember when we were kids,_  
_Things were so easy then_  
_We’d play for hours together_  
_Because you were my friend_  
_But everything changes_  
_It’s the only thing that’s true_  
_Life is so much harder now_  
_But at least I have you_

_Winter is horrible, but we’ll be fine_  
_’Cuz we’ll face it together ‘til the end of the line”_

As Bucky sang, his face had a kind of peace to it, instead of his usual tense look, and Steve found himself enjoying it as much for Bucky’s sake as his own. True enough, the lyrics were a little maudlin, but that was so utterly Bucky that Steve had to suppress a smile. 

When Bucky was finished, he held the last note on the guitar for a few moments before looking at Steve, eyes wide and nervous. 

“So? What do you think?”

Steve smiled softly. “I thought it was beautiful, Bucky. That lyric about “‘til the end of the line” gave me chills.”

Bucky smiled, delighted. “It did?”

“Yeah, it did.”

Bucky rubbed at his metal arm, a nervous tic that Steve had noticed him do before. “Thanks, Steve. I really appreciate that.”

“No, hey, it’s the truth. You’re really talented. It was like poetry to music.” Steve took Bucky’s hand, kissing the back. “I loved it.”

Bucky squirmed slightly, but didn’t pull his hand away. “So, uh. What do you want to do now?”

“Maybe we could go for a walk through the park? There’s something I was hoping to show you, if they’re still there.”

Bucky gave him a curious look, but nodded, putting his guitar back in its case. They stood, and Steve suddenly found his palms sweating slightly. He wiped them on his jeans surreptitiously. “So, um. I’d kind of like to hold your hand, if you don’t mind,” Steve said in a rush. “Do you think that would be okay?”

Bucky blinked, then smiled shyly. “I-I’d like that,” he said, and Steve let out a relieved breath. 

“Awesome.” He held out his hand, and Bucky took it, threading their fingers together. Steve gave the cool metal a slight squeeze, and they walked together through the sunshine. 

As they meandered down the path, Steve revelled in the feel of Bucky’s hand in his, and the sun shining down on them. Bucky, however, was frowning and squinting against the light. 

“You okay?” Steve asked. 

“Oh, yeah,” Bucky replied, looking sheepish. “Just not a fan of bright sunshine. It’s so cheerful, you know? Plus it gives me a headache.”

Steve stopped walking, and Bucky gave him a questioning look. Smiling, Steve pulled him into a hug. “I gotta say, being with you makes me happier than a sunny day ever could,” Steve mumbled into Bucky’s neck. When he drew back, Bucky was blushing. 

“You… I mean, really?”

“Yeah.”

Bucky smiled and took Steve’s hand again, and Steve drew him down one of the paths. 

“Are we… are we headed towards the fountain?” Bucky asked. 

“Mhm, yup,” Steve replied, grinning. “And I’m hoping…” They turned the corner and were in sight of the fountain. “Yup, there they are!”

Bucky’s eyes widened. “Is that…?”

“It’s ducks! And ducklings!” Steve said, laughing. “Aren’t they great?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen ducklings before,” Bucky said quietly, and Steve stared at him.

“You haven’t? Wow, well, I love to come here in spring and feed them.”

“I don’t have any bread, though,” Bucky said.

Steve was shocked. “You shouldn’t ever feed them bread!” he exclaimed. “Bread is really, really bad for birds.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that. I thought everyone fed ducks bread.”

“They do,” Steve said darkly. “But they shouldn’t. I always tell people off when I see them. Bread fills them up without giving them any nutrients, and they can get something called ‘angel wing’, which causes a deformity in their wings that can ultimately be fatal because they can’t fly.”

“Oh no!” Bucky said with a gasp, his mouth a perfect ‘o’.

“Yeah. Plus uneaten bread in the water causes algae blooms, and makes bacteria breed, or attracts rats which will eat the ducklings too.”

“Oh my gosh, Steve, I’m so glad you told me!”

Bucky looked stricken, and Steve’s heart melted a little. “Hey, don’t worry about it! Most people don’t know these things. But here, I’ve brought some treats for our feathered friends.”

He put his hand into his bag and pulled out a small carton. When he opened it up, he held it out, and Bucky looked inside. “Oats?”

“Yeah!” Steve said with a laugh. “They love it. I’ll show you.” He poured a small amount of oats into his hand and threw it gently into the water. The adult ducks immediately swam over, tails wiggling, and pecked at the oats. The ducklings followed suit, and Bucky laughed to see them get excited over the treats. His laugh was like music to Steve’s ears, and he ducked his head to hide his smile. “Aren’t they great? They’re really tame.”

“Yeah?” Bucky looked as though if his eyes got any wider they’d pop out, and Steve wondered if he’d realized they were such an amazing blue-gray before. 

He cleared his throat, bringing himself back to the moment. “Yeah, watch this.” He took another small handful of oats and held it near the ducks, who swam away briefly before coming back, heads tilted curiously. The male swam right up to the edge of the fountain, to where Steve was standing, and cautiously pecked at the oats in his hand. When Steve didn’t move then the duck, emboldened, pecked more, quacking as he did so.

The female duck was right behind him, and joined in, as they both ate their fill. With a quack that sounded to Steve like a ‘thank you!’ the two adults swam away. The little ducklings, however, swam closer, peeping in their little voices all the time, and Steve grinned at Bucky.

“You wanna feed the ducklings?”

Bucky gaped. “I mean… will they eat from my hand?”

Steve shrugged. “I don’t see why not. As long as you keep your movements soft and don’t jerk away or towards them, they should be fine. Here.” Steve poured some oats into Bucky’s hand. “Go on,” he said encouragingly.

Bucky took a deep breath and gently put his hand down towards the ducklings, who scattered in fright. “I don’t think they like me,” Bucky said ruefully. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Steve replied. “Just sprinkle a little in the water next to you.”

Bucky did so, and the ducklings slowly came back, peeping curiously. When they had pecked up all that was in the water, one of the braver ducklings swam towards Bucky’s hand. The duckling looked up at Bucky, then pecked at the oats. When Bucky didn’t move—he was staying so still he might have been a statue—the duckling kept going. 

The other ducklings, seeing that their sibling was getting food when they were not, joined in. Steve watched, smiling wide, as one of the ducklings actually climbed into Bucky’s hand.

“Steve!” Bucky whispered. “What do I do?”

“Pick it up and pet it?” Steve whispered back, stifling a laugh. “Be gentle, though.”

As Bucky picked up the duckling, it peeped once, then went back to pecking at the oats. Steve sat on the side of the fountain as Bucky turned away, looking in amazement at the small fluffy creature in his hands. Steve couldn’t help the fond smile as he watched Bucky, whose duckling had now stopped eating and was simply sitting in his hands, watching the world as it peeped happily.

Bucky was murmuring cute nothings to the baby bird, and Steve felt himself falling further for him. “Hey, little one,” Bucky was saying. “You’re just so sweet, aren’t you? So sweet and fluffy. I hope no one ever hurts you, because you are just too precious for this world. I can’t believe you trust me this much. You want to know a secret, little one? No one ever takes the time to talk to me except Steve. He’s pretty awesome.” Bucky shot Steve a small smile, and Steve’s heart melted. He took a quick photo on his phone when Bucky looked back at the duckling—it was too good an image not to capture.

“You good there with your little buddy?” Steve asked softly.

“Yeah. I think I’m gonna give him back to his mom and dad, though.” Bucky carried the small, fluffy ball back over to the fountain and set it down carefully in the water. The duckling peeped again as it swam away, and Bucky watched it go wistfully before turning to Steve. “That was amazing,” he said in disbelief, and Steve stood, taking Bucky’s hand again. 

“You’re pretty amazing yourself,” Steve said. “That was pretty cool, though. I think it liked you.”

“Really?” Bucky’s eyes were wide. “No one likes me.”

“I like you,” Steve responded, shrugging. “In fact, I kinda like you a lot.”

Bucky blushed and ducked his head. “I-I like you a lot too, Steve.”

“Do you think…” Steve began, then shook his head. “Never mind.”

“What?”

Steve wrinkled his nose, and he scuffed his toe on the ground. “Do you think that maybe you’d want to be my boyfriend?”

Bucky gaped. “You really want that?”

“Well, yeah. If you want?”

“Wow. I-I’d really like that, Steve.”

Steve felt like his heart was about to explode in his chest. “Really?”

“Yeah. Yeah, definitely.” Bucky’s eyes were bright with happiness, and Steve grinned.

“Awesome. That’s… that’s really awesome.” He looked at the ground. “So do you wanna just hang out in the park for a while?” 

“Yeah, that would be cool.”

They found an empty patch of grass and sat down. Bucky placed his guitar case and messenger bag carefully beside him, and when Steve lay back in the grass, arm under his head, Bucky hesitated for a moment before lying by his side, head on Steve’s chest.

Steve was sure that Bucky must be able to hear his heart beating—it was thudding in his chest. He brought his other hand down and began carding his fingers through Bucky’s hair, and Bucky snuggled down onto him, practically purring.

“I’m really glad you came to the Academy, Bucky,” Steve said softly.

“Me too, Steve,” Bucky murmured sleepily. “Me too.”

They lay there, just dozing, until the sun went behind some clouds and the temperature dropped a little. Steve looked at his watch and made a surprised noise. “Oh my gosh, Bucky, it’s nearly dinner time!”

“Is it?” Bucky responded, surprised. “It feels like it was lunchtime five minutes ago.”

“Yeah, it does.” Steve supposed they should probably leave the park, but he didn’t want their date to end. Suddenly struck with an idea, he smiled. “Hey, you wanna maybe get dinner together?”

Bucky glanced up at him. “You mean like another date?”

Steve shrugged. “Well, kinda an extension of this one. I’m not suggesting we go back to our dorm rooms and change, or go somewhere fancy, but we could go to the Shawarma Shack and grab a bite there?”

“Sure,” Bucky said with a lopsided smile. “Wanna go now?”

Steve nodded. “Yeah, I’m a little cold. Probably a good idea to go indoors.”

“Okay,” Bucky said, nodding back. “Sounds like a good idea.”

They got up and picked up their belongings, and Steve found himself missing Bucky’s comforting warmth immediately. But there would be plenty of time for more snuggles in the future, he reasoned with himself, and he was kinda hungry.

He took Bucky’s hand and they walked slowly together towards the Shawarma Shack. It was still a little early, so there weren’t that many people around. Steve spotted Natasha having curly fries with Tony, the two of them deep in conversation. Steve figured they were probably discussing the best way to hack Hydra’s databases this week. 

Steve and Bucky sat at a table near the back, and Steve picked up a menu. Come to think of it, he was actually starving. Being a genetically enhanced super soldier came with its issues, such as a heightened metabolism. Sure he was strong, and fast, but it also meant he had to eat a lot because he burned so many calories.

“So, uh, what do you like to do for fun?” Bucky asked awkwardly, then looked like he was mentally kicking himself.

Steve took his hand from across the table. “Well, I like hanging out with you a whole lot. And I like to keep in shape, you know, do a bit of boxing and sparring and stuff. I’m also president of the Academy’s LGBT group, so that takes up some of my time, organizing stuff for that. You should come along to a meeting some time.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Bucky said, biting his lip.

“No pressure, but it would be nice to spend time with my boyfriend around my friends, you know?” Steve was never going to get tired of calling Bucky his boyfriend, but Bucky didn’t need to know just how much he enjoyed using the word.

“I’ll think about it,” Bucky responded, and Steve nodded.

“That’s all I ask.” He looked at the menu again as a waitress came up to them.

“You guys ready to order some drinks?” she asked, snapping her gum, and Steve smiled at her.

“I’ll have a Diet Coke, please,” he told her.

“Uh, can I get a Sprite, please?” Bucky asked, and the waitress nodded.

“Sure thing, guys. I’ll be back in a minute with your drinks and I’ll take your orders.”

She sashayed away, and Steve frowned. “I can’t decide whether I want curly fries or sweet potato fries.”

“We could get both and share?” Bucky suggested, and Steve beamed at him.

“You’re a genius, Bucky! That’s a great idea, if you don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind,” Bucky replied shyly, as the waitress came back with two brimming glasses of soda.

“You ready to order your food?” she asked with another snap of her gum.

They placed their orders, and Steve sat back, smiling at Bucky. “So what about you, Bucky? What do you do for fun?”

Bucky shrugged. “I write songs, and poems. Mostly songs. Music really speaks to my soul, you know? And, I don’t know, I’m not really a people person so I don’t spend a lot of time with the people here. I kinda feel like I don’t really fit in, you know? Especially since I have so many problems with my memories.”

“Never think you don’t fit in,” Steve said gently. “You fit in with me.”

Bucky’s gaze softened. “Thanks, Steve. That means a lot.”

“Hey, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t look out for my best guy?” Steve joked. “Besides, I told you. I like you a lot. We wouldn’t have spent the day together if I didn’t. You’re good company, as well as being a really talented musician.”

“Oh, I’m not that talented,” Bucky protested, but Steve was having none of it.

“Yes you are. Your songs are amazing. That one you sang earlier had the hair on my arms standing on end! You really have a way with words, and the melody was perfect.”

Bucky squirmed slightly. “Wow, thank you, Steve. That means a lot, you don’t even know.”

“Well, I mean it. You’re amazing, Bucky. I just wish everyone saw you like I do.”

“I’m kinda glad they don’t,” Bucky said with a small smile. “I don’t want everyone to want me to be their boyfriend. Just you.”

Steve gulped a sip of soda in response, but unfortunately it went down the wrong way and he ended up taking a coughing fit. 

“I’m okay!” he wheezed as Bucky looked as though he was about to get up. “Just… give me… a second.” He hacked and coughed for a little longer, then cleared his throat. “Sorry about that,” he said hoarsely, eyes watering. 

“You sure you’re okay?” Bucky asked, frowning. 

“I’m sure.” Steve squeezed Bucky’s hand across the table. “My soda just went down the wrong way. I guess I was just… it was nice to hear you say what you said. You know, about not wanting anyone else to want you to be their boyfriend.”

Bucky smiled shyly. “It’s true. Other people make me feel uncomfortable and out of place, but you’ve never made me feel that way. You’ve always made me feel like maybe I do fit in.”

“I’m glad.” Steve smiled back at Bucky as their food arrived. 

There was a lot of it, but they soon polished it all off, talking between bites. The waitress mostly left them alone, only coming over occasionally to give them more soda when their glasses were nearly empty. 

When their plates were clean, Steve sat back and gave a satisfied sigh. “That was good shawarma. And I think we made the right choice getting two kinds of fries.”

“Definitely.”

“You want dessert?”

Bucky shook his head. “I’m pretty stuffed. I don’t think I could—or should—eat another bite.”

“Yeah, I think I might give dessert a miss too,” Steve said with a laugh. “If I eat any more I’m gonna have to unbutton my pants, and I think they might have a problem with that here. Plus it’s our first date. You don’t have to see that.”

Bucky laughed quietly. “As funny as that would be, you’re probably right.” He paused, frowning. “I really don’t want tonight to end, though.”

“It doesn’t have to yet,” Steve told him. “Come on, let’s get the check.”

Steve insisted on paying, and Bucky accepted hesitantly, on the condition that he paid next time. The thought that there was going to be a next time gave Steve goosebumps. He still couldn’t quite believe that Bucky had agreed to be his boyfriend. He felt like he had somehow managed to get through the protective walls that Bucky had put up, and vowed to himself that he would never hurt Bucky. He never wanted those walls to go back up between them again. 

The check paid, they headed outside into the slightly chilly spring evening. 

“Where to now?” Bucky asked. 

“I thought maybe Club A? Don’t worry,” he said quickly when Bucky shot him a dubious look. “It won’t be crowded since it’s a Wednesday, and I won’t make you dance… or make you watch me dance either. I just thought we could maybe get a drink and sit out in the moonlight together?”

“We could do that. Or we could go back to the park and sit in the moonlight there?”

Steve smiled softly. “Your idea is better. You sure you’ll be warm enough?”

“Yeah,” Bucky replied, nodding. “And if it gets cold, we can always huddle together for warmth,” he added shyly. 

“I really like that plan,” Steve responded. 

They made their way back to the park, and sat near the fountain under a tree. The ducks were gone—Steve guessed they’d probably gone back to wherever it was they slept. 

Steve leaned back against the tree, and Bucky snuggled into his side, leaning against him. Steve began to play with Bucky’s hair again, making Bucky laugh softly. 

“You like my hair, huh?”

Steve squirmed slightly. “Well, yeah. It’s really soft and shiny. And I like it long. You look really good with long hair, Bucky.”

“Really?”

Steve kissed the top of Bucky’s head. “Do you not know how gorgeous you are? Bucky, you take my breath away every time I see you.”

“Oh.” Bucky’s tone was awed. “You know I feel the same about you, right? And that I can barely believe that the popular, handsome class president would want to be boyfriends with a friendless loser like me?”

“You’re not a loser!” Steve exclaimed, frowning. “Get that out your head. You’re a misunderstood artist. And if people could see what I see in you? You’d be fending off admirers with a stick.”

“Maybe it’s just as well they don’t, then,” Bucky said with a laugh. He shivered slightly, and Steve kissed the top of his head again. 

“Come on, we’d better get back to the dorms. It’s getting pretty cold.”

“I really don’t want this to end, though.”

“It’s cool. Because I’ll see you tomorrow and we can do this all over again. Maybe you can play me some more of your songs?”

Bucky nodded, looking pleased, and they stood before walking hand in hand to the dorms. 

When they arrived at Bucky’s door, Bucky looked at Steve, hands twisting together nervously. 

“Well, this is my room.”

Steve nodded. “Can I kiss you?”

Bucky’s eyes widened. “Um. Yeah, I’d like that,” he said quietly. 

Steve cupped Bucky’s cheek in his palm and leaned in, pressing their lips together softly. Bucky shifted slightly into the kiss, and Steve lost himself in the feel of their lips moving gently against one another without either of them moving to deepen the kiss. 

At length, Steve pulled back. “Wow,” he murmured. 

“Yeah,” Bucky responded, his eyes slightly glazed. 

Steve cleared his throat. “So, uh, I’ll see you in class tomorrow?”

Bucky nodded as he unlocked his door and opened it. “Goodnight, Steve,” he whispered, heading inside and shutting the door behind him. 

Steve rested his forehead against the cool wood for a moment before heading up to his own room, feeling like he was walking on air. 

Bucky was his boyfriend, and he couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would bring.

**Author's Note:**

> Find us on tumblr [(velvetjinx)](http://velvetjinx.tumblr.com) and Twitter [(longhairedbucky)](http://twitter.com/ionghairedbucky)!!!!


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